Deflection takes Imps into second round draw

By Nathan Jackson
November 6 2005

The Imps will feature in the 2nd Round draw thanks to a deflected shot that gave MK Dons an undeserved draw. City took the lead halfway through the first half but a wickedly deflected shot just before half time proved to be enough for MK Dons to take the Imps to a replay.

Marvin Robinson, in the middle of a goalscoring run, almost put the Imps ahead in the 1st minute but his 20 yard shot went well wide of the target and showed why, up until that point, he had failed to score from outside of the 6 yard area. From the goalkick, the ball fell to City again before eventually going to Lee Beevers who sent his shot well wide of the target. The Don's first chance came when Colin Cryan fouled McCloud and Marriott saved well from the free kick.

Wade small has the next oppurunity to open the scoring when he also sent a shot well wide of the target before Derek Asamoah had a close range shot saved by highly-rated Dons keeper, Matt Baker. City should have taken the lead a few minutes later when Cryan powered a header towards goal but it was cleared off the line.

City were controling the game, the Dons very rarely got out of their own half and a foul on Scott Kerr presented Dean Keates with an oppurunity to open the scoring. He lined the ball up from roughly 25 yards out and smashed it, Baker managed to get a hand to the ball and pushed it onto the inside of the post and somehow, the ball came back out of the goal and denied what would have arguably been, Keates' best goal to date. However, it didn't stay goalless for long. City were awarded for the general dominance of the game when Cryan sent a ball deep into the box where Marvin Robinson was waiting and he powered a diving header into the top corner of the goal for his 3rd goal in as many games. It was a goal that City really deserved as they had been on top of a MK Dons side that need to drastically avoid performances like this to avoid relegation into league 2.

The former "Premiership" side did however manage to start coming into the game more but they wasted many chances by choosing to shoot from long range rather than build the ball up and shoot from inside the area. However, after a quiet end to the half, the Dons equalised in fortunate fashion when Edds shot from 20 yards out and it took a major deflection which carried the ball past Marriott and into the goal.

MK Dons almost took the lead a few minutes later but former Notts County striker, Clive Platt's header was cleared off the line by Beevers. The game infact, had no more action until the 86th minute when Marvin Robinson powered a header towards goal but Baker got down and made an excellent side.

The final incident was when Dean Keates did a doubled footed challenge on a MK Dons player and was sent off in added on time.